January 27, 2022. Estonia’s largest public transport operator, Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT), which provides services in the Estonian capital, has ordered 20 Urbino 12 and 30 Urbino 18 CNG buses from Solaris. Tallinn has thus decided to exercise the option provided in the contract concluded in July 2021, under which 100 Solaris gas vehicles had already been purchased. Deliveries are scheduled for September 2022, and once they have been completed, a total of 350 gas-powered Solaris buses will be running along the streets of Tallinn.
“Of course, it is in our common interest that public transport in Tallinn would be environmentally friendly, comfortable, and safe. Therefore, two years ago we decided to invest in gas buses and two years later the TLT bus fleet was replenished with 350 ecological buses. We will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by 25 thousand tons per year, which is comparable to the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 7,000 passenger cars with internal combustion engines. This is especially significant because in 2023 Tallinn will become the Green Capital of Europe,” said the Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Andrey Novikov.
“By acquiring another 50 Solaris gas buses under the option agreement, we will achieve our goal of 70% renewal of the bus fleet. By the end of this year, we will replace old-generation buses with new, environmentally friendly, and modern vehicles that meet the expectations of passengers and are also convenient for people with disabilities. This is especially important for us because this May marks the 100th anniversary of Tallinn bus traffic and the new environmentally-friendly buses will mark the beginning of a new history of public transport, which is especially relevant in the context of the green capital of Europe,” said Deniss Boroditš, Chairman of the Board of TLT.
The newly ordered vehicles, regardless of their length, will be equipped with a 235 kW engine adapted to use compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel. An additional cold start function will facilitate starting the engine at very low temperatures. CNG storage tanks will be placed on the roof in the front part of the bus. In the 12-metre buses, the tanks will have a total capacity of 1575 litres, whereas in articulated buses they will boast 1875 litres.
